Featuring Congressman Barney Frank on Preventing Medicare cuts

Thoughts & Solutions for Health Care Service and Health Issues in the USA

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

Summer, 2012

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Pledge to Our Readers

Although this magazine is edited and put together by Democrats, we aspire that anyone of any political affiliation can read and enjoy the Attleboro Democracy. Contact us at: attleborodemocracy@gmail.com
Sturdy photo by Andrew Meehan; Beach photo by Christine Meehan (top)

political persuasion

11 Scott Brown for a 2nd term?

Lee Harrison Attleboro health

13 consolidation & Quality:the key

Jim Humphrey

14 Principles of health care reform

Ray Drewnowski

17

Body image vs. health

Emily Meehan

18 6-pack or a 6 week concussion?

Andrew Meehan

Boston and Beyond 19 21 Real results that mattrer

State Senator Dick Moore

Attleboros local premier health care provider, Sturdy Memorial Hospital

Features
p. 2 The Constitutionality of Obama-care

Reducing health care costs

State Rep. Tom Conroy

23 The neighbor column: Walpole

William Buckley

A legal argument on behalf of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. By Michael E. Levinson
______________________________________________

p. 5 A Medical Condition, Not a Moral Failure

Humor & Satire 24 How I helped invent Romney-care A True Story

John Finley

Prescription drug addiction, a rising epidemic, has pressing solutions. By Paul Heroux ________________________________________

The Politics of Culture

26 Politics By Andrew Meehan
28 29

Game of Thrones & American

p. 7 Saving Medicare from Congressional Cuts

.

The View From Washington:

Some in Congress seek to cut Medicare as a means of ending the U.S. deficit. By Congressman Barney Frank
________________________________________________

p. 9 The New GI Bill

In replicating the Greatest Generation, the Latest Generation of the U.S. military can benefit from a college education. By Carl Bradshaw
Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012 1|Page

By

The Attleboro Democracy Presents: The Health Issue - Summer, 2012

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Constitutional

By Michael E. Levinson

Is Obama-care constitutional? The Supreme Court has its own opinions, but so do writers for the Democracy. Heres a constitutional argument for Obama-care.
ON MARCH 23, 2010, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SIGNED INTO LAW THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, OR PPACA. Shortly after its enactment, however, conservative special interest groups and Republicans across the nation began attacking the law with false claims that it was "unconstitutional." What has ensued during that time has been a slew of Federal Court lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the law, ultimately culminating in a series of cases heard by the United States Supreme Court 2|Page

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

earlier this year - National Federation of

enumerated powers granted to Congress. These "other enumerated powers" presumably include the power to regulate commerce among the states (as described above), and the combination of these two provisions provide the constitutional backdrop upon which the PPACA was enacted. In its brief submitted to the United States Supreme Court, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (the governmental agency named as the party in the recent case before the United States Supreme Court, hereinafter termed the "HHS") provided ample support for the government's position that the regulation of health insurance and, specifically, the requirement for everyone to own health insurance - is clearly "commerce" and, thus, constitutional. [All
references to the brief submitted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services shall be referenced as "HHS Brief." An electronic copy of the brief can be found here.]

Independent Business v. Sebelius and Florida v. United States Department of Health and Human Services.
The crux of the constitutional challenge to the PPACA stems from the "individual mandate" requirement of the law which requires everyone in the United States to obtain minimal health care insurance or be subjected to certain tax penalties. Despite the seemingly endless legal wrangling over this groundbreaking and important piece of legislation, a review of the precedent involving the constitutional provisions under which the law was enacted shows that constitutionality of the law should not be questioned. Under Article I, Sec. 8, cl. 3 of the Constitution, Congress has the power to "regulate Commerce...among the several States." This provision of the Constitution has spurned literally hundreds of legal cases challenging Federal laws, allowing the Courts (including the Supreme Court) to create precedent as to what constitutes "commerce." Simply put, the Courts have held that there are three separate and distinct areas which can be regulated pursuant to this provision: (a) the channels of interstate commerce (such as navigable waterways and railroad tracks); (b) the instrumentalities of interstate commerce, and persons and things in interstate commerce (such as buses and trains); and (c) activities that substantially effect interstate commerce. This third provision is where Congress is clearly granted the authority to enact PPACA. Additionally, Article I, Sec. 8, cl. 18 of the Constitution grants to Congress the right to enact "all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution" the other

For example, the HHS identified how the health insurance industry is a $2.5 trillion business (HHS Brief, p. 34), and proceeded to describe the countless number of economic effects which can stem from the lack of health insurance. Thus, one would be hard pressed to argue that the regulation of such a large industry was not "commerce." Further, HHS also identified the detrimental financial effects uninsured individuals cause on the healthcare system as a whole. For example, in 2008, the uninsured incurred $116 billion in medical expenses, but were able to pay through payment, government assistance, or charities - for only $73 billion, leaving $43 billion in "uncompensated care" (HHS Brief, p. 7-8). These "uncompensated care" costs are passed on by medical providers to health 3|Page

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

insurance companies, who in turn pass it on to their insured in the form of heightened premiums. Thus, everyone is affected by the high number of uninsured individuals in the United States and the detrimental financial impact such numbers have on our nation's economy. It is clear from these statistics that the requirement for all parties to have health insurance is a regulation on something that has a substantial effect on interstate commerce. Despite this clear connection with interstate commerce, the Republicans and conservative special interest groups in general have fought vehemently to overturn this mandate on constitutionality grounds. Interestingly, these groups do not argue that health insurance cannot be regulated. Rather, their argument relies heavily upon the theory that Congress' power to regulate commerce does not mean that it can require individuals to enter into commerce. [All references to the brief submitted by
the Respondents (the States and the individuals who have challenged the constitutionality of the law) shall be referenced "States' Brief." An electronic copy of the brief can be found here.] In other words, just because

time when the object is actually affecting the interstate commerce - is wholly irrelevant. What's even more baffling is that the individual mandate is a policy that has been adopted by other conservatives in prior years. For example, Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for President in 2012, led the charge to enact such a law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts running for when President he as was a Governor. Republican, Additionally, John McCain, while he was campaigned on the platform of enacting an individual mandate. Further, under President Clinton's presidency, during the lengthy policy debate involving health insurance reform which plagued most of his first as term, the conservative organizations such

Heritage Foundation and Enterprise Institute recommended and supported the individual mandate requirement. At no time was the constitutionality of such a mandate questioned by conservative groups - such questions only came about after a Democratic President and a Democratically-controlled Congress enacted the mandate. In sum, politics on both sides of the aisle have driven the public debate about the regulation of this very important area of commerce. Although undoubtedly the policy questions regarding this law will last for quite some time, one cannot - in good faith - claim that the regulation of a $2.5 trillion industry does not equate to a regulation of "interstate commerce." Simply put, the politics of requiring such a mandate cloud the future of this very important law.

health insurance is undoubtedly "commerce" does not mean that Congress can require individuals to purchase it. Such a shoddy and weak argument ignores years of Supreme Court precedent and fails to address the main point at issue - that something which substantially effects interstate commerce (such as health insurance) can be regulated and that Congress has the authority to enact laws that are "necessary and proper" to regulate such commerce. The timing when such regulation may be performed - at a time prior to when the object being regulated will have an effect on interstate commerce or at a

Michael E. Levinson is a lawyer from Attleboro.

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

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my family, who has long suffered from back pain, also became a victim to painkillers, which many people fall victim to. He is in residential rehab with the full support of his family. Prescription drug addiction affects men and women, young and old, employed and unemployed, and those suffering from mental illness and those who don't. In short, no group is immune. While I have never even had so much as a drink of alcohol in my life, (it may be hard to believe, but it's true) before you question the type of people I surround myself with, facts are important and sometimes a wake-up call to the judgmental. Consider that in 2007, nearly 28,000 Americans died from unintentional AND drug poisoning, and of these, nearly 12,000 involved prescription pain relievers. Prescription drug abuse surged 400 percent from 2000 to 2010. Drug addiction is a problem that can originate with chronic mental illness or legitimate physical or psychological pain. Drug addiction is a medical issue, not a moral one. Drug dealing, however, is a different issue, and to be clear, a serious crime. Some people think abuse or addiction are moral issues, some a criminal issue and others a medical issue. There is a difference between use, abuse, and addiction. Drug use and non-addictive abuse are cheap thrills for your brain's dopamine receptors to (think of dopamine without as it, the no neurotransmitter in your brain that allows you experience pleasure; pleasure). However, when abuse becomes addiction, we are talking about a physically altered brain. The brain becomes incapable of producing dopamine, or the pleasure 5|Page

Prescription Drug Addiction: A Medical Condition, Not a Moral Failure

A new epidemic is affecting Americans. Prescription drug addiction may be a new health issue, but it does have solutions.
By Paul Heroux PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE

ADDICTION IS PREVALENT IN AMERICA, YET IT LURKS IN THE SHADOWS. We don't like to talk about it because of the stigma associated with it. But if you are still reading this, you probably know someone close to you affected by it. This is an issue near and dear to my family and me. My parents own pharmacies (my father's is in Attleboro and mother's is in Plainville). Both have had their share of robberies from persons suffering from drug addiction. In September 2010, there was a well-publicized case of a 17-year-old boy found nearly comatose in the ceiling of Plainville Prescription Center. That is my mother's store, and it wasn't the first break-in she or my father experienced. A few weeks ago, an old friend recently succumbed to a long fight with mental illness and she intentionally overdosed on painkillersmental illness is a serious risk factor for drug abuse. Another person close to

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

receptors in the brain become incapable of receiving enough dopamine. The only way for some individuals to feel any pleasure, or no pain, is through excessive use of drugs. While drug experimentation may be a moral issue or an issue of poor judgment, drug addiction is more than a moral issue. In fact, I would not describe it as a moral issue at all. It becomes a physical one and one that is the equivalent of a hawk sinking its talons into prey. Addiction is not something that someone can just snap out of. One recent study found that over two-thirds of people who used illicit drugs for the first time in one recent year began by using prescription drugs medically. In 2009, the number of first-time, non-medical users of psychotherapeutics (prescription opioid pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants) was about the same as the number of first-time drugs are marijuana the users. Prescription second-most

such a program, and there is reason to believe that the dynamics of abusing guns and prescription drugs are very different. If we look at the base-rate of prescription drug abuse in our community and other communities not doing this initiative, then compare rates of prescription drug abuse after this initiative has been implemented, we can have some sense of whether or not this initiative helped decrease prescription drug abuse. This is a thumbnail sketch of a research design and there are a lot more details that need to be considered. The point is that when we measure something correctly, we can then have the evidence that we need to make a case for or against something. Measurement for public policy might seem like an academic exercise. It may seem needless when someone has the proverbial "commonsense," which is often what people claim to have when they don't have facts to offer. But I think that such measures are a way to get to the fact of the matter and push good policy. And real commonsense dictates that evidence based on a measurement of the real world is far superior to speculation or no evidence at all. The person who broke into my mother's store in 2010, Ryan, had people around him who care and a criminal justice system that recognized his unique needs. He has received treatment, tough love, sanctions and he is doing much better now. Let's hope he stays that way.

abused category of drugs in the United States, following marijuana, which usually has much less serious consequences than prescription drug abuse and dependence. There is clearly a need for effective measures to prevent prescription drug abuse and addiction. The recent initiative headed by the DEA made me first think of gun buy-back programs. Those were attempts by local police to allow citizens to sell their guns to police as a way to decrease the number of guns in a community. The hope was that it would decrease gun crime. Gun buy-back programs were a failure; they did not reduce gun violence or illegal carrying. I wonder if this program will have similar outcomes. I hope not. I don't see the harm that can be done by

Paul Heroux has a B.A. in psychology and neuroscience from USC, a master's degree in public administration from the Harvard School of Government and a master's degree in criminology from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

The View From Washington

Saving Medicare from Congressional Cuts
By Congressman Barney Frank

One of Massachusetts most distinguished Congressmen details in this issues View from Washington column the need to save Medicare from Congressional cuts.

DONT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT LISTEN TO

where our wealthy allies spend less than half of what we spend as a percentage of gross domestic product on the military, secure in the knowledge that we will protect them. Note that when my Republican colleagues talk about raising the retirement age for Social Security, theyre doing it in part so we can continue to provide the funding for our European allies, who are then able to have lower retirement ages for their people, because they dont have to spend any money on the military. We need to reduce the deficit, and we should be looking seriously at specific ways of increasing the efficiency of Medicare and Medicaid; we have been working on this. Hypocritically, the Republicans in opposing President Obamas healthcare plan denounced it as reducing Medicare spending. In fact, as is the case with the entire healthcare plan, no one has suffered any negative consequences in the two years since it has been law, giving the lie to the rhetoric about it. And I know of no one who receives Medicare myself included who has seen any problem as a 7|Page

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. In an editorial

published on March 26th praising Paul Ryan, the Journal had this to say:

Mr. Ryan's budget would cancel the additional defense cuts of $55 billion a year under the sequester and replace them with savings in the entitlements that are the real drivers of long-term debt.
Thats right. The Republican budget reduces Medicare and Medicaid in substantial part to provide for increased military spending. I think that the President, giving in to the pressures he receives as the leader of the most powerful nation in the world, proposes more military spending than is necessary. For example, to get the votes necessary for the two-thirds majority required to ratify the Nuclear Arms Treaty in 2010, the President had to agree to tens of billions of dollars of spending on weapons that people in the Pentagon believed to be totally unnecessary. And we continue to subsidize Western Europe,

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

result of this law. insurance

There has been some under Medicare

overdo

procedures

when

they

are

reduction in the amounts paid to some of the companies Advantage, but again, not in a way that it costs any recipient services. I support efforts to make upper-income people contribute more both for Medicare and Social Security, but beyond that, reducing benefits or increasing the retirement age for the average citizen seems to me a great mistake. And as the Wall Street Journal makes clear, the reason for the level of reduction the Republicans are talking about in these important medical programs is not because of their desire to reduce the deficit, but because of their desire to reduce the deficit while increasing military spending, and protecting tax breaks for the wealthiest people in our country. When we talk of Medicare cost increases, we do not often enough note that the quality of what we are buying in medical care has also increased significantly. In my own life, nothing has improved in quality remotely as much as medical care. The food I eat, the car I drive, the bed I sleep in these are essentially the same as they were thirty years ago from the consumer standpoint. There has been a great advance in telecommunications, although I regard the ability of people theoretically to bother me at all hours of the day, no matter where I am, as a very mixed blessing. But in terms of things that have had impact on our lives, medical care quality has increased enormously. That does not mean that we should not be for effective cost controls. We should look at specifics and impose them where there is a good case for doing so. Removing incentives for some doctors to

themselves the owners of the entities that perform them; working to hold down drug costs, including the right to import medicine from Canada; and some increased copayment requirement for the very wealthy, are all reasonable things to do.

I support efforts to make upper-income people contribute more both for Medicare and Social Security, but beyond that, reducing benefits or increasing the retirement age for the average citizen seems to me a great mistake.Congressman Barney Frank
If we raise taxes on people in the top two percent of the country, substantially reduce the military to the point where we are not subsidizing wealthy allies but instead providing what we need for our defense, and apply sensible fiscal restraints elsewhere, we will begin to get our national debt under control. It is precisely because they do not want to touch taxes for millionaires or excess military spending that our Republican colleagues are talking about cuts to Medicare and Medicaid that are socially, economically and morally indefensible.

Congressman Barney Frank is the Representative for the 4th Congressional District in Massachusetts.

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create what some have called the Greatest

The Next Generation Benefits From Another G.I. Bill

Generation. The G.I. Bill was an extremely important, far reaching, and transformative piece of legislation that successfully reintegrated the millions of veterans who returned abruptly to American society after several years at war. The bills various components of employment and unemployment provisions, home and business loans, and educational opportunities precluded the potential disaster of veterans returning home to another depression. Its impact went beyond the transformation of college campuses and the American higher educational system; it was felt throughout American society in its growing middle class, increasing civic engagement, democratization of political institutions, and the very definition of what it is to be American.

By Carl J. Bradshaw Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army-Retired

Like the bill passed in 1944, a new G.I. bill will allow those in the armed forces to better educate themselves. Attleboros veterans agent explains how.

THE END OF WORLD WAR II WOULD BRING AS MANY CHALLENGES AS REWARDS TO AMERICAN SOCIETY. Over nine million service members would return to the states after several years at war. There was no way to absorb the transition, including the rapid change to the military-industrial complex, without significant action on the part of the federal government. The Servicemens Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the G.I. Bill, was the countrys attempt to provide a smooth transition to a new economy. Few anticipated the impact the bill would have on American society or understood it would help
FDR signs the first GI Bill in 1944 (Public Domain Photo)

Americans entered World War II with a keen memory of the Great Depression. During that depression veterans of World War I were very vocal and demonstrative about receiving bonuses they had been promised, but never received. A veteran march on Washington D.C. in the fall of 1932 might have impacted the reelection of President Hoover. President 9|Page

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Roosevelt did not want to create a similar situation with a much larger group of service members. Architects of the G.I. Bill put together a comprehensive plan that would provide resources toward almost every concern a veteran could have. Along with unemployment compensation, it was believed that providing an opportunity for a college education would be a way to delay the reentry of thousands of veterans into the workforce and provide them educational skills that might later benefit American society. By the mid1950s over 7 million veterans had taken advantage of the education provisions of the bills, forever changing the American higher education landscape. These veterans would in turn change the American higher education landscape as much as it changed them. Colleges throughout the country would make adjustments to their campus environments and curriculums to integrate millions of service members into their communities. Subsequent and current iterations of the G.I. Bill would have varying impacts on several generations and American society, providing opportunities for even more Veterans. Many believe veterans of the Global War on Terrorism will benefit the most of any generation from the provisions of the recent G.I. Bill. The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 became effective on August 1, 2009. While the bill is complicated and has changed each year since, there are basic components worthy of consideration. Veterans receive increasing amounts of benefits based on the amount of active duty served after 9/11, receiving maximum benefits after 36 months. Tuition at state universities is

fully paid for while private institutions are given the opportunity to partner with the Veterans Administration to do the same under the Yellow Ribbon Program. Living expenses are augmented based on the location of the college attended. Books and other fees are also included in the bill. Veterans have up to 36 months of schooling benefits they can use within 15 years of discharge and may be eligible to pass on their benefits to their dependents. The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill is just a small measure of appreciation for the incredible sacrifices our veterans have endured since the horrific attacks of 9/11. It not only benefits the veteran and his/her family, but also helps benefit American society with better educated heroes who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to receive further education. If history is a precursor to the future, we should be proud of the opportunities afforded by the most recent G.I. Bill and can expect our Latest Generation to have a similar impact on the American higher education landscape and society that was returned to us by the Greatest Generation.

The author served 24 years in the U.S. Army and retired in 2005. He is pursuing his Doctor of Education degree at Northeastern University using the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. He is also the Director of Veterans Services for the City of Attleboro. Direct questions or comments to: cjbradshaw2003@aol.com. For further information on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, visit the Veterans Administration site at: http://www.gibill.va.gov/benefits/post_911_gibil l/index.html

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POLITICAL PERSUASION
A Scott Brown Second Term?
By Lee Harrison

Political persuasion columnist Lee Harrison discusses whether Senator Scott Brown should get another term. Whatever your political persuasion, we hope you enjoy this little bit of political persuasion.
Senator Scott Brown at work campaigning. (Public Domain Photo) Obama while pushing the radical Tea Party Republican agenda, which includes: KILLING THE FUTURE: When Democrat Bill Clinton left office in 2000, the country was at peace and we had a budget surplus. George Bush reversed course, pushing the country into two unfunded wars and massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Then, we had the 2008 financial collapse on his watch. Tea Party Republicans like Scott Brown think we can downsize our way to prosperity, but its never happened. Look across the Atlantic. Europe is proving austerity doesnt work. To grow the economy, we need to invest in ourselves and in the country. But Scott Brown is having none of that. In fact hes repeatedly voted against job creation, middle-class tax cuts, extending Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012 11 | P a g e

AS SHAKESPEARE SAID, WHATS PAST IS PROLOGUE. So, we should be able to make some reasonable assumptions about what Scott Brown would do if given free rein for a full six-year Senate term. Lets push aside all the silliness we have to endure during a yearlong campaign and consider the real consequences of your voting for Tea Party Republican Scott Brown in November. FIRST UP. Should he win this fall, Scott To elect the Tea Party Without would Browns first vote in January 2013 would be his most important: Republican leader of the Senate. Kentuckys Mitch McConnell, who

doubt Scott Brown would vote to reinstate continue to thwart a re-elected President

unemployment benefits, and raising taxes on those who make more than $1 million dollars. Hes even against curtailing tax breaks for Big Oil, hedge fund managers, and corporations shipping jobs out of the United States. A vote for Scott Brown is a vote to make Americas shrinking middle-class disappear entirely.

component of the American Jobs Act that supported up to 6,300 education and first responder jobs here in Mass. And just recently, Scott Brown voted with the Tea Party Republicans to let interest rates double for federally subsidized student loans. FRIENDING OIL & GAS: Scott Brown

KILLING SOCIAL SECURITY:

Republicans

accepted $198,000 from Big Oil and Gas while voting three times to protect tax breaks for that industry the most profitable on the planet and against renewable energy tax credits. He also sided with dirty energy companies and voted against EPAs authority to regulate carbon emissions. Voting for Scott Brown is a vote for Big Oil and against the environment. WALL STREETS BEST FRIEND: Even after

have been fighting this wildly popular program since FDR passed it in 1935. Indeed, George Bush started his second term with an all-out effort to privatize social security. Can you imagine where seniors would be today if Bush had succeeded? Still, stalwart Tea Partiers have a plan for an abrupt phase-out of Social Security. You want to kill Social Security? Vote for Scott Brown. KILLING MEDICARE: Party Republican dream. This is another Tea Kill Medicare by

the worst financial disaster since the 1930s, Tea Party Republicans like Scott Brown continue to fight real regulation of casino banking. JPMorgan may have lost $3 billion recently, but the $54,155 they sent to Scott Brown indicates whos got their back. Or could it be Wall St. embraces Scott Brown

privatizing it. As if the private sector gives a hoot about your grandmother. You want to kill Medicare, vote for Scott Brown. Hell help to make it happen. KILLING PUBLIC EDUCATION: Tea Party

simply because theyre scared of whos running against him? Either way, as Shakespeare also said, The truth will out, and when you look beyond his slick ads, its clear Scott Brown is not independent and certainly is not for us. He definitely should not get your vote for a second term.

Republicans hate all things government, and for whatever reason they really hate public school teachers. At a time when we should be investing in our future by spending more on public education, they want to kill it. For the billionaires masterminding the Tea Party gutting public education is another way to marginalize unions, further shrink government at all levels, and strengthen their stranglehold over all of us. Public schools are starving. If you want to kill them off, vote for Scott Brown. Hes already voted to filibuster a key

Lee Harrison is the Chairman of the Berkshire Brigades, the countywide Democratic organization.
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communicate with insurers and patients. Glob

Health Care Affordability: Reducing Costs through Quality and Consolidation

these costs onto yearly rate increases from your insurer to pay for modern medicine (that really is doing some great things that you of course want to have ASAP) you have spiraling health care costs that you are paying for more and more out of your pockets because your employer cannot keep pace. A simple idea is to consolidate claims

By Jim Humphrey
A few easy steps to making health care cheaper. Consolidation IF YOU WALK INTO YOUR LOCAL PRIMARY CARE DOCTORS OFFICE, OR ANY SPECIALIST FOR THAT MATTER, YOU MIGHT BE STRUCK BY THE MANY INSURERS STICKERS ON THE OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS WINDOW, OR LIST OF INSURERS THEY DO AND DONT ACCEPT. You might see as many as 10 different insurers, each having as many as 10 base benefit designs that may have 100s of permutations of special benefits tailored to the company you work for. Add-in the coordination of benefits for Medicare patients (yes you still have to fill some holes in Medicare with youre a private insurance companys legislated piece of the pie), Medicaid, and other optional medical care options and you can only wonder how the person at the desk can keep track of the varying co-pays, deductibles, benefit limits and acceptable number of visits allowed across all of these insurance plans. In fact, sometimes they dont know because they change at least yearly. This creates a significant administrative cost to each doctor to manage record, bill and

systems and claim authorization systems across insurers, and streamline benefits for routine care that should not be variable across insurers. An office visit is an office visit and a claim is a claim that abides by nationallyaccepted coding, standard practice patterns, and comparable adjudication rules. If a doctors practice can bill one system, with a standard co-pay, instead of having his staff constantly scanning a myriad of co-pay options across insurers who in turn are managing multiple multi-million dollar claims and authorization systems for comparable services the cost savings would be tremendous both for the insurer (economies of scale) and the individual doctor (lower overhead). Quality Quality of Care is the mantra behind health care reform and private insurers alike. There is significant medical waste in the health care system that runs the gamut from overuse of services, to poor regimens of hospital cleanliness that creates infections that forces people to go back to the hospital. Keeping people out of the hospital is a goal of insurers due to the significant cost of hospital care. High readmission rates due to quality issues to correct a poorly done procedure, or an infection that returns you to (or keeps you in) 13 | P a g e

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

the hospital ends up costing you more as part of a rate increase. Can you imagine your car being brought in for a tune up or a minor repair, only to bring it back the next day for a complete engine overhaul. I think you get the message. Quality cannot also be had by maintaining your health, which is why insurers (all who are passionate about health care quality) work on incentive programs to insure you get physicals, routine care, and help you manage chronic medical problems with health care coaches and nurses. Health care quality, if controlled and improved is the big fish of health care costs control, and is estimated at a potential savings of up to 25% of current costs. Final Note Information about your health needs to be shared, but needs to be kept confidential. Great strides are being made to share electronic medical records across health care givers. Knowing your allergies, medical history, and prescriptions you are taking at the point of service can not only save your life, it can help diagnose something that previously a doctor without a consolidated medical history might misdiagnose, or not diagnose at all. key part of the Affordable Care Act. This needs to get done, and is getting done as a If we're going to fix our economy, we must fix America's broken healthcare system - we cannot afford to wait. Crushing healthcare costs have made it impossible to strengthen our economy, with families and businesses all struggling to make ends meet. Reforming healthcare means: keeping the healthcare you have, if you like it, seeing the doctor of your choice, increasing the quality of care while decreasing costs and eliminating waste, helping small businesses stay competitive, and reforming the insurance market so you will never face losing your coverage. Now is the time, to guarantee everyone access to quality, affordable healthcare.

Principles for Health Care Reform

By Ray Drewnowksi

With Americas economic woes, improving our health care system even further is a necessity. Here are ways we can do it.

Jim Humphrey previously worked at Pilgrim and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in the Medical Quality Assurance Department, and worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts IT department supporting Health Informatics, Health Care Reform, and Actuarial and Underwriting initiatives.

Affordability

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Every man, woman and child in America must be guaranteed access to quality affordable coverage that will cover what they need to keep them healthy, provide adequate coverage for when they need it, and protect them from skyrocketing costs.

Increase support for community-based

health services and prevention by expanding the current system of community health centers, supporting safety net hospitals, and local public health efforts. Employer Responsibility

The average family of four is paying Business, government, and individuals must come together and share responsibility in solving America's healthcare crisis. Building on the employer based system will help people keep the healthcare if they like it. One in five American workers are

$29,000 a year for healthcare in taxes, lower wages, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. In 2004, half of all people filing for bankruptcy cited medical costs as a reason. And in 2008, half of all home foreclosures were due in part to the high cost of coverage and care. The U.S. economy lost as much as $207 billion in 2007 as a result of the poor health and shorter lifespans of the uninsured. Quality Affordable Coverage for All Benefits should be the same as the

currently uninsured, having increased by about 6 million in ten years. Employers who choose not to provide businesses and at a competitive costs for coverage for their employees are putting responsible disadvantage everyone. American small businesses have seen their health care costs grow by 30% since 2000. Seventy-three percent of small business owners are willing to contribute towards guaranteeing quality, affordable health coverage for their employees. Everyone Must Share Responsibility Employers should offer and contribute increasing

coverage that Members of Congress receive, with a guaranteed level of benefits. Require guarantee issue of all health plans, adjusted community rating of premiums and other insurance market reforms that provide access to all Americans without regard to health status or claims history. Provide sufficient subsidies for low and Limit the amount of out-of-pocket including deductibles and comoderate income individuals and families. expenses, payments. People in the country legally, who work hard and play by the rules, deserve affordable coverage and access to public programs, as they do with children's health insurance program (SCHIP), and subsidies.

to meaningful coverage for their employees or pay into a fund. Small businesses should be guaranteed protections to help control costs and keep them competitive. Small businesses should receive tax credits, and the smallest businesses should be exempted. 15 | P a g e

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

Public Health Insurance Option The option of a public health insurance plan is necessary to ensure appropriate and adequate coverage, to foster choice and competition, to bring down costs, and to assure consumers have a stable marketplace where they coverage. Every day, fourteen thousand more can find quality, affordable

Long-term and Chronic Care Developing a better system to provide long-term care and care for chronic conditions will lower costs, improve quality of care and life, and help people stay in their homes and communities. In 2005, ten percent of Medicare

beneficiaries accounted for nearly two-thirds of Medicare spending. Medicare spent $17.4 billion in 2004 on unnecessary or potentially preventable hospital readmissions. In fact, over 19 percent of the Medicare beneficiaries discharged from the hospital re-enter the hospital within 30 days. All Americans should have the choice to get needed care at home - 89 percent of Americans 50+ want to remain home as long as possible. Improve Care for Chronically Ill reform Medicaid. Reforms should include more coordinated care, especially for the most chronically ill, especially those who are both Medicare and Medicaid patients. Healthcare Workforce Investment Reforming America's broken healthcare system requires training and upgrading the healthcare workforce. Our new healthcare system must expand its reach and capacity in 16 | P a g e Chronic care must be included in to promote more home and Americans lose their insurance coverage during this economic crisis - left on their own in the private market. In 2008, one in six U.S. metro areas were dominated by one health insurer and controlled 70 percent of HMO/PPO enrollees, severely limiting consumer choice. Between 1997 and 2006, per enrollee spending in private insurance grew 59% faster than spending in Medicare. Increase Choice and Competition A public health insurance option

coupled with a more structured and robust private insurance market will prevent a handful of companies from controlling the insurance market and help drive costs down. A public health insurance plan will promote efficiency and innovation within the market, achieve lower growth through fair competition, and force private insurers in the marketplace to promote efficiencies and innovations as well - all helping to lower costs. A public health insurance option would help alleviate the burden on small businesses that is forcing them to choose between cutting health benefits and laying off employees.

community based options under Medicare and

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

order to deliver cost-effective, preventive and primary care to our rapidly aging population, uninsured, and underinsured Americans who currently go without adequate healthcare. There are more than 116,000 unfilled

nursing jobs in America's hospitals and more than 25,000 unfilled nursing jobs in our nation's nursing homes. To keep pace with projected demand, our healthcare system will grow by nearly three million workers by 2016. Overall, the number of Americans who need long-term care and services will increase from approximately 10 million today to 15 million in 2020 to 27 million in 2050. Invest in Jobs A significant federal investment in Mental and physical health can often be at odds with each other. For instance, when it comes to teenage girls, less healthy physical habits can often be dwarfed by concerns theyre constantly worrying about. One big health issue is body image. Support should be provided to recruit Body image is a big thing to a girl. It affects the girls ways of thinking - that they need to have this perfect body to be beautiful, whereas in reality every single person has a These principles could go a long way in helping to improve Americas health care system. different body type and cannot be model skinny. Girls believe that beautiful is clothing sizes, two and four. Those sizes are what the typical models wear and girls believe that you are only beautiful if you are a model. To be these sizes, girls participate in strict diets and workouts, and eating disorders. They will limit themselves what they can eat to an extreme extent because they believe that if they eat Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012 17 | P a g e

Body Image vs. Health

By Emily Meehan
When trying to get thin goes too far for teenage girls.

appropriate training and education of the nonphysician workforce is needed. Training in new technologies, teams, healthcare workers and new and systems must be provided to both incumbent recruits. and train a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.

Ray Drewnowski is an Administrative Organizer at 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East

less, they will be these sizes. Yes, in a sense, this logical thinking is true; however, these girls participating in these rituals do not understand that their body type isnt going to change. I see girls obsess at the gym with their workouts and pushing themselves to where it appears they could pass out. There is a mentality thinking that goes along with this skinny lifestyle. Girls think that people will view them as beautiful if they were as skinny as they can be. Girls want to be skinny because Hollywood has created a new image that a pretty girl is a skinny girl. The Annual Victorias Secret fashion show is one big Hollywood event that influences girls views of body images. This past Victorias Secret Fashion show was the first one I watched with two of my friends from colleges. One of my friends, Kenza, who is a Moroccan fashionista and knows the ins and outs of world fashion, made comments that made me realize girls still view the typical Victorias Secret models as glamorous. She believed that to be perfect, she must appear just like these models. As I was listening to these comments, I realized that many girls around the world probably have the same views as Kenza, and look to models as how they should be. I cannot attest to being one of those girls that need to be skinny to be perfect, but I can attest to being one of those girls that want to live a healthy lifestyle. In the beginning of high school I wanted to be thin, so I started to exercise. I noticed girls striving not to eat the cafeteria food because it was fattening. Throughout high school, girls would not eat to restrict their diets to salads. As I am currently in college, I have noticed that things have not changed much but the majority of girls I have

come across have the mentality of eating to stay fit than eating to stay thin. However, I am one that could not commit to the healthy dieting so I made a promise to myself to not change my habits, just try to live a healthy lifestyle by working out regularly. If Im ever in a situation where I am starving to death, then I know I can always rely on a McDonalds BicMac.

Emily Meehan studies at Manhattan College.

A Six Pack or a Six Week Concussion?

by Andrew Meehan
Kids are being pressed now more than ever to have active lifestyles. But can they do that when their favorite sports have been shown to be more dangerous than once thought? In recent months, there have been two major news stories that relate vitally to overall health, especially that of young people. The first is that of the obesity epidemic. According to new studies, about 42% of children could be obese by 2030 less than twenty years from now. The second is the tragic suicide of a football player. In the beginning of May, Junior Seau, a former San Diego Chargers and New England 18 | P a g e

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

Patriots many

linebacker, football fans

shot

himself

in

his this

these new health issues are less apt to occur. Something like tennis or track may not lead to a lot of hard hits and thus concussions. But sports like football and girls soccer are among the most popular in the country. It may occur that we as a society may face a predicament choosing between our children staying physically in shape through sports that could be harmful to their mental health, or keeping our childrens brains whole at the expense of their physical fitness.

apartment in Oceanside, California. What guessed when happened was: His head must have been

really messed up to do this. Could it have been because of concussions? Concussions are the
newest health issue in the world of sports and in sports like football, where heavy men going full speed at each other bang their heads together constantly, there are a boat load of them. This is not only an issue in football, but in other sports as well. In hockey, the NHL star Sydney Crosby has been sidelined for over a total of about twelve months because of hits to his head. Meanwhile, in a startling revelation, there seems to be indications of a concussion crisis in girls soccer. Concussions are no ordinary injury. A bad hit to the head can affect the brain itself, potentially leading to problems like memory loss, an increased risk of dementia, and a higher emotional volatility. A person getting a concussion once may recover just fine, but its becoming more and more clear that the brain can only take so many hits. This fact, and its implication on sports, especially youth sports, creates a huge issue. Lets say sports where concussions and other newly discovered hazards are prevalent cant find a way to fix themselves, making it harder for younger kids to play in those sports on an organized level what happens to those kids who would have been running around getting exercise? As noted, theres an obesity epidemic, and if some sports are limited because of their health hazards, kids may be less likely to get the physical activity they need. There are sports, of course, where many of

Andrew Meehan is the Editor of the Attleboro Democracy.

Health Reforms Real Results that Matter By Senator Richard T. Moore

DONT BELIEVE THOSE EDITORIALS IN THE

WALL STREET JOURNAL OR CLAIMS BY SOME

POLITICALLY-BIASED NATIONAL POLITICIANS THAT HEALTH REFORM IN MASSACHUSETTS IS A BUDGET-BUSTER. In fact, we have it on very good authority that the landmark 2006 Massachusetts Health Reform law, and its 2008 and 2010 enhancements, is within budget and providing lower health insurance costs for many Bay State residents. 19 | P a g e

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

The

business-backed

Massachusetts advocacy

Commonwealth Health Connector, which was itself created by the 2006 Health Reform law, reported procurement that Commonwealth would again Care be results

Taxpayers Foundation is certainly not a liberal bleeding-heart, tax-and-spend group by any standards. This highly-respected research organization recently reported that, Massachusetts has achieved near universal health care coverage with only modest additional costs to state taxpayers. Over the five full fiscal years since the law was implemented, according to the Taxpayers Foundation, the incremental additional state cost per year has been $91 million, an amount, they state, that is well within projections made prior to the law's enactment. As anticipated when my legislative colleagues and I drafted the law, health reform has been largely funded by shifting spending away from uncompensated payments and care and supplemental towards

consumer-friendly for the state fiscal year 2013 that begins this July. For the second year in a row, the rates we pay health insurers for coverage are projected to come in 5% below those of the previous year. The rates for all five of the insurers offering products will now be less than they were two years ago. With these savings, the Connector is well-positioned to accommodate over 30,000 new members over the coming months. Additionally, the Connector has developed a vision, in collaboration with the Patrick/Murray Administration, for providing subsidized health insurance in Massachusetts in 2014. This proposed plan would improve coverage for tens of thousands capitalizing of on Massachusetts residents,

traditional health insurance coverage for individuals. Despite the claims of critics, the health reform law has not posed an undue burden on state taxpayers, said Taxpayers President Michael J. Widmer. Because the cost increases have been modest, the Commonwealth has been able to pay for the reforms even during this global recession that has placed enormous pressures on the states finances, Widmer adds. So, while politicians and pundits, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, debate the fate of Obamacare, as the federal health reform legislation is called, the Massachusetts saving lives, landmark health reform law, sometimes called Romneycare, continues providing health insurance coverage, and staying within budget. On April 12th, the sixth anniversary of the passage of Massachusetts Health Reform, the

opportunities under the federal Affordable Care Act to promote continuity of coverage and care and maximize federal funding. In addition to the practical impact of containing the rising cost of health insurance, the voters of Massachusetts continue to voice overwhelming support for the Massachusetts Health Reform law. According to a poll conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Boston Globe last year, support for the 2006-enacted legislation rose by ten percent over a 2009 poll rising to 63%. Of the respondents in the most recent 2011 poll, 63% favored it, 21% opposed it, 6% said they werent sure, and 9% had not heard or read about the law. Whenever two-thirds of voters increasingly support a policy over several years, thats a 20 | P a g e

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

pretty good result. No one is claiming that the law is perfect, but we seem to be on the right track. Our next step is to try to promote bringing health care costs into line with general state productivity while improving quality of care and without harming access to care. Thats what my colleagues and I are currently working to do. It has been one of the biggest policy achievements in this state over the last 25 years, MTF President Michael Widmer has said of the Massachusetts Health Reform Law. We've accomplished quite a bit in the past six years and look forward to improving the lives of even more Massachusetts residents and saving state tax dollars as key aspects of federal reform take hold.

and businesses all of us, in fact need to see a future in which healthcare costs are not choking our take-home pay, our savings, our investments in education, and our quality of life. Heres a preview on how were going to do it, given the work that State Representative Steve Walsh has been leading as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. 1. Electronic medical records

Imagine using what looks and feels like a credit card (or a thumb drive) whenever you check into hospital or a doctors office, and the computer kiosk speaks back to you and asks: Hi Barbara, what ails you? With mandated electronic medical records for all of us, this can be the future. They have EMRs for all in France, with the carde vitale. Why shouldnt we? 2. Pricing Transparency and Consumer Education

Richard T. Moore is a State Senator from Uxbridge, MA.

Reducing Healthcare Costs By State Rep. Tom Conroy

Imagine checking into the office of a primary care physician (PCP) and finding posted on the wall, like in Japan, the costs of some basic treatments, such as an annual physical, or an x-ray of a sprained ankle. Some healthcare services are essentially Pricing undifferentiated, like commodities.

FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS, at least, healthcare premiums, copayments, and deductibles have been suffocating Massachusetts workers and businesses. But in the next month or two, the Massachusetts legislature, in collaboration with Governor Patrick and his team, will enact a new law that over the next decade will curb rising healthcare costs significantly, while improving healthcare service quality. Families

transparency amongst these services gives consumers/patients choices, and leads to useful competition and lower prices. Now add to this the ability of your PCP to access a computerized database of treatments, pricing, and quality of service data at hospitals across the state. Then she could help you choose the best value: lowest cost, highest quality, most accessible. That kind of competitive 21 | P a g e marketplace would also drive down costs.

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

3.

Administrative simplicity

The cost of defensive medicine, according to estimates, ranges from 2% to 10% of total healthcare costs. In Massachusetts, that would be $1.4 $7.0 billion of the nearly $70 billion that was spent on healthcare in our state during 2011. To reduce defensive medicine and the fear of lawsuits, well put limits on expert witnesses and on the statute of limitations of a legal action, while allowing for physicians to speak clearly and truthfully with patients and kin. That doesnt happen now, but it can in the future, to the benefit of all. 6. Payment reform

Imagine, after giving birth to your first child, receiving from your PCP a single bill that lists all the costs of services you received, at the hospital, at the lab, and at the PCPs office, like such costs are listed on your credit card bill. Wouldnt that be easier than the current system? Instead, what we get now is four explanations of benefits forms, three subsequent bills from the health insurance company, two deductible calculations, and a pharmacy invoice. And a partridge in a pear tree. One major hospital in Boston uses over 800 forms. No wonder there are so many claims and billing administrative staff shuffling paper at hospitals and physician offices around the state. 4. Workforce development

Right now, most physicians and hospitals get paid on a fee-for-service basis, which creates incentives for doctors and hospitals to over-diagnose, over-treat, and over-serve consumers/patients. While maintaining feefor-service in rare instances, we can save costs by using bundled, global, and experiencebased payments mechanisms. This shift would also align PCP practices with comprehensive and coordinated treatment models such as the medical homes, and reduce not just the number of proscribed services, but also the intensity of treatment regimes. All of these changes will help control costs. Our stated goal in the current bill is to keep health care pricing and costs from rising at a rate faster than the rest of the Massachusetts economy. If we can achieve that goal, families and businesses will win.

One of the most innovative approaches to lowering healthcare costs and improving quality is the patient-centered medical home model, a team-based approach led by the PCP in which nurse practitioners, social workers, or personal care assistants monitor and proactively coordinate comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. For patients with chronic illnesses, the medical home model involves ensuring that care is integrated amongst all specialists. For the elderly who are on daily drug regimes, social workers may visit the home and call daily to ensure dosages are correct and taken, to prevent catastrophic illness and costly re-hospitalization. To implement the model, well need to train more of each type of team member. 5. Medical malpractice

Tom Conroy, vice chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, is state representative for the 13th Middlesex District (Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland) and can be reached at Thomas.Conroy@MAHouse.gov or 617-722-2430.
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the welfare of our country. We remember and embrace Franklin Roosevelt's vision of a nation where no child misses inoculations due to poverty, where seniors are given a modest safety net to obliterate old age destitution, where women's health is a priority, where cancer screenings which can save life are given freely, where child care, school nutrition, family planning and education are accessible and affordable to all. Now our opposition tells us that we should each go it alone. That we cannot possibly pay for these programs and our thermonuclear bombs, our multiple wars, out tax cuts, our oil subsidies, our international detention centers, and they are correct. So we must choose. We know it We are always talking about health care. We read emails about it from the DNC, we listen to pundits talk about it, and we see deductions for it from our pay checks. We also hear our loyal and vocal opposition talk about health care. We hear about socialized medicine, quotas, death panels, and the slow decent into hell our country is embarking upon. Let's go back to basics. Why are we Democrats? We are Democrats because we believe, in the core of our beings, in the goodness of people. We believe that every person has potential, has value, and has worth. We choose to face the challenges of this world together, collectively, encouraging and strengthening one another. We are not islands unto ourselves. This humanistic belief is the fountainhead of our party's platform. For one hundred years, American leaders have been bogged down arguing the policy points of healthcare. When we talk about healthcare, we Democrats are talking about will not be easy. We know that there will always be the example of the benefit cheat, held up like the bloody shirt of old, to justify doing nothing. What distinguishes the New Deal hand-up, from the Welfare State handout is personal responsibility. The notion that if we all pay in, in our time of need the fund will pay out. That would be the fruition of the promise of freedom from want and freedom from fear. We have had set backs and program failures, false starts and false positives, but it is worth the effort. It is worth struggling, it is worth the fight. The alternative is doing nothing, being content with the small level of security and comfort we may or may not have. The alternative is to turn away from the sunlit uplands, to hide the light our American city on a hill. I think I know what choice you'll make.

The Neighbor Column: Democrats and Health Care

By Bill Buckley
Walpoles Democratic Party chair talks about that partys relationship with health care.

William Buckley is the Chair of the Walpole Democratic Town Committee, and a former Walpole school committee member.
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watching the newly released DVD of Sherlock Holmes 2 featuring Robert Downey Jr. You think Willard Mitt Mittens Mitti-poo Romney is a flip-flopper who has no true
http://massresistance.org/docs/marriage/romney/health_ins/

convictions. Im here to tell you something: theres more to Mitt than meets the eye. Sure, Mitt changes positions every election cycle some say to better help him win. Thats not true, my dear friends. You see, I was once able to witness him making a decision in action when he was deciding on whether to initiate Operation Romneycare. Im going to tell you the story of how Mitt Romney makes up his mind. You see, back a couple of years ago, I was the official feeder for Lt. Governor Healeys fluffy white office cat, Snuffles. Mitt actually loved the cat, and would stroke it and laugh hysterically like a better-haired version of Dr. Evil. In fact, thats where I got the chance to speak with him regarding his new proposal: health care for Massachusetts. Perrrrrrrrrfect, Mitt said, stroking the cat. Soon, I will make a decision on health care for universal Soon Excuse me, governor, I said, Whats perfect? He handed me Snuffles and looked at me intently. Cat guy, he said. Can you keep a secret? Of course! I exclaimed. Well. He started rubbing his fingers nervously on his desk. Heres the thing. I dont know whether health care for all these people is the right thing to do. Do purring. 24 | P a g e you mean the most political advantageous thing to do? I said. Snuffles was health care for Massachusetts.

How I Helped Invent Romney-care: A True Story

By John Finley

Ladies and gentlemen, we have our Presidential matchup. President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney are set to face off in the greatest presidential contest in maybe the history of the world wide world. Words will be twisted and storylines spun. Babies will be kissed. And Wolf Blitzer will take over as interim commander of the White House Situation room, as the two candidates duke it out in front of the American public. Now, dear readers of the International

House of Pancakes Journal of Baked Goods,

[Editors Note: John Finley often forgets the name of the Attleboro Democracy] I know what youre thinking, and not just because Ive enhanced my powers of observation by

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

No, no! Romney said in horror. He opened a door in his desk, and began to reach into it, then stopped. He pushed the door in and looked back up at me. Cat guy, people always think I flip flop. They dont think Im sincere. They think I make my decisions based on sheer political calculation, as if Im some robot with no heart. Now, my cousin Glove, he might be that way, but Im not. He looked at me fiercely. Im going to show you what I use to make my decisions. Sometimes it results in changes in positions, but only because thats how my method works. He pulled the door to his desk back out again and reached inside it. As he pulled his hand back within his view, I saw it. Governor is that I squinted my eyes. A magic eight ball? Romney held the little black ball toy in his hand and began to shake it. Yes it is. This is

how I made all my big decisions in life. From trying to run for Senate against Ted Kennedy, to running the Olympics, to deciding most importantly who should be my hair dresser. He looked intently at the magic eight ball. I spoke to him softly, I think you need to ask it about health care. Governor Romney nodded. Then he shook it. This was the result: You betchya! Youre welcome Massachusetts. Because of me, and Romneys magic eight ball, we all health insurance. Mittens? Hes not a flipflopper! His magic eight ball is.

John Finley is a fictitious character created by the Editor. However, rumors suggest Romney does use a magic eight ball to make decisions.

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

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Movies, books, television, and so much more, affect our society, and even our politics. The Attleboro Democracy presents its reviews of the latest culturally significant and notable happenings in the country.

Out of every show on television, there is one show that helps illustrate the disarray of
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/05/09/hbohas-only-itself-to-blame-for-record-game-of-thrones-piracy/

the American political system. Its not on CNN or FOX; its not even a show about America. To help understand the difficulties we face as a nation, one only has to look at HBOs smash hit, Game of Thrones. At first glance, a medieval fantasy miniseries adapted from American author George R.R. Martins A Song of Ice and Fire book series seems to have nothing in common with the real life drama of American politics. But it does.

Game of Thrones and American Politics

by Andrew Meehan
HBOs hit fantasy series and its byzantine plot lines and politics help point out Americas own political problems.

Game of Thrones centers on the fictional

continent of Westeros, set in a medieval world, the gritty daily life of which Game of Thrones does not shy away from. On the continent are

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numerous royal houses the stoic and loyal Starks of Winterfell in the frostbitten north, the patriarch of whom is played by Sean Bean; the often tricky and conniving Lannisters, featuring Peter Dinklage and his Emmy Award and Golden Globe winning performance as the dwarfism-afflicted Tyrion; the Baratheons, who hold the current line of kings; and the Targaryans, the small remainder of the former ruling house that seek to reclaim the throne. However, while these royal houses fight amongst honorable themselves, and for reasons a both despicable, potentially

debt crisis, terrorism, global warming, the economy and they are ignored because elected officials that we vote for are too focused on winning elections and gaining power. In order to solve some of these problems, that fact has to be recognized. Solutions that are proposed to end gridlock include increased bipartisanship, or that one faction better behave itself. Both would be great, but the giant problem we face is that our elected leaders must accept a level of sacrifice (whether its less votes next election or less money from a gracious donor) at the necessary times, in order to solve big issues. Now, our political system was designed with the self-interested aspect of politicians in mind, but at this moment, it is unable to rein in those impulses. Individuals who are our elected officials must rise to the challenge of neglecting self-interest. Otherwise, like the poor misguided folk born of George R.R. Martins imagination, we too may be on the brink of catastrophe.

catastrophic threat looms from the far north: a supernatural group of abominable snowmanlike Others with the power to raise the dead march on Westeros, and their only obstacle is a 800 foot wall made of ice and the forgotten, maligned soldiers of the Nights Watch, who fight this threat while completely ignored by the rest of Westeros.

Game of Thrones has just finished its

second season on HBO. An excellent series in its own right, but be warned the series takes its medieval roots seriously, perhaps too much so. Game of Thrones is a mature series, featuring often very violent scenes and images, and an over-usage of sex scenes. This is not a series for kids. Nonetheless, it is one of the Kit Harrington portrays main character Jon Snow, soldier of the Nights Watch. Why exactly is America like this fake and imagined land? Because right now, we are like those squabbling royal houses. We have severe national issues we have to solve the best shows on television and can allude much in the process.

Andrew Meehan is the Editor of the Attleboro Democracy.

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Democracy Bulletin:

To LET YOU KNOW A FEW THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY, WE BRING FOR YOU, THE DEMOCRACY BULLETIN.

WANT SOMETHING ON THE BULLENTIN? SEND US AN EMAIL!

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

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Editors Desk To submit a letter to the Editor, please send an email to the Attleboro Democracy at attleborodemocracy@gmail.com

Want more of the Democracy?

Closing Message Thank you for taking the time to read the latest edition of the Attleboro Democracy Magazine.
Our pledge to our readers is that although this magazine was edited and put together by Attleboro Democrats, we aspire that anyone of any political affiliation can read and enjoy the magazine. The Attleboro Democracy is a magazine for everybody, not just one faction or party. This issue has focused on health. Improving health care, solving various health issues weve strived to discuss a variety of important things in the health field that are important. Good health, after all, is what we all want and need, and to the extent that public policy should promote or legislate for better health and health care, we believe we have provided a plethora of good commentary that may help in developing that public policy so that it may improve the health field. We hope you enjoyed the work of our contributors as much as they enjoyed writing them. Our stated goal is: Striving for a Better Public Debate. As long as we keep writing, working, and thinking over the great issues of the day, thats what were going to keep trying to do. -Andrew Meehan, Editor Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012 29 | P a g e

Archived issues are on the Attleboro Democrats website!

The Attleboro Democracy is closing in on its one year anniversary of being formed.
To all readers, contributors, and all those who have helped over the last year thank you.
Sincerely, Andrew Meehan Editor of the Attleboro Democracy

Attleboro Democracy Magazine, Spring 2012

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